Susan and I have talked about Lisa Marie Rice before, but it doesn’t look like either of us have ever read any of her, although I might be wrong. Susan reads more than I do (nice of her to do some reviews, huh?).

After a violent attack, Allegra Ennis lost everything—her father, her music career and her sight. Living in a world alone, full of darkness and fear, Allegra is haunted by nightmares that don’t end when she opens her eyes.

When she is stalked by an unknown killer, Allegra must trust her life—and her heart—to former Navy SEAL Douglas Kowalski, a fearsome warrior who bears the scars of war. But Kowalski fears that someone as beautiful and talented as Allegra could never love a disfigured and mutilated war hero like him. He can protect her against danger, but can he protect his heart?

It’s not what you see
…it’s what you feel..

**Note: This book was previously published by Ellora’s Cave. The new edition has been lightly edited and updated.**

So… this guy doesn’t think the blind woman can love him ’cause he’s disfigured? Oh, please tell me his nose is at the top of his head or he’s been turned into an octopus or something. Because hello? Blind people? They ain’t exactly repulsed by what they see when they look at you…

But this is one of those stories that makes me wonder how much Rock Fiction this is, and how much is just a detail thrown in to give the character some oomph. And to catch the eye of suckers like me, too.

I love being able to covet a whole trilogy at once. I really do. And have I got a cool sounding one today!

It’s actually interesting because books 1 and 3 feature the same guy. Who’s maybe a loser and maybe not. He’s definitely a drunk, an alcoholic, if I gotta use the proper terms. He loses it all over these two books… is there redemption for him? I hope so. I like redemption stories.

And the second book, Zenith Rising, is the one that makes me a bit nervous. It’s about a former member of the band, and it may not be Rock Fiction even though the dude’s a rocker. I’m going to have to spend some time with my nose in a book to be able to tell.

So anyway, here’s the description of book one, Zenith Falling:

Joelle married Rob Williams, lead singer of the rock band Zenith, before she was old enough to know better. She has spent years following Zenith around while they struggle to become rock stars. Only now, alcoholism has replaced the talent that once was going to make Rob a legend, leaving Joelle’s life spiraling out of control. The problem is there isn’t a soul in the world that cares, including her husband.

Nick Lassiter is a powerful business magnate in Seattle, Washington, and was acquainted with Joelle long ago, before she became Joelle Williams. Nick’s return to Joelle’s life gives her a link to a world outside of Zenith. A world that starts to become far more appealing than the crazy, alcohol dominated one she lives in. Until the fateful night when her entire life implodes and Nick is the only person she has to run to. Joelle soon sees only one thing clearly: Nick Lassiter has become so much more than just a friend who can save her.

When Zenith disbands and Rob tries to get sober, Joelle begins to discover her own identity outside of Zenith, and the person she finds is nothing like the young, fragile girl who needed rescuing when Nick first met her. Who she discovers just might be a woman worth loving.

I like this concept; it’s fresh, although it seems harrowing. This could be a real keeper.

But then we get to the second book. Like I said, it’s maybe not Rock Fiction…

Dr. Erica Heathersby is the last person Spencer Mattox, ex-band member of Zenith, should ever be attracted to. When Erica offers Spencer a job, he resents her for it, because she is successful in her career, her life, and as a person, in ways Spencer believes he can never be. But Erica soon finds her medical practice the target of political debate, and herself the target of someone’s violent desires. Erica turns to Spencer for protection, which develops into a relationship that neither of them is prepared for. Erica knows that in order to keep Spencer from destroying what they have built together; she has to overcome the devastating past he tries to hide. But then again, none of it will matter, if Erica doesn’t survive what is fast becoming someone’s deadly intention towards her.

Sounds like a thriller, not a romance. And I have a lot of questions, like why an ex-rocker provides protection.

The third book brings us back to Joelle and Rob. Or only Rob.

Rob Williams used to be the lead singer of his band, Zenith, before his alcoholism destroyed his career, his marriage and his life. Now, writer, Rebecca Randall wants to chronicle his recovery and in the process, establish herself as a successful author. What this mother of three young girls doesn’t realize is how well the tattooed, former rocker, Rob fits into her small town, country life. That is until Rebecca’s estranged husband comes home and wants to rebuild their relationship. As Rob leaves and attempts to make his dreams of Zenith come true, Rebecca’s life falls into a depression that nothing, short of divorce, will end. But how can Rob, now lead singer of Zenith, ever return to Rebecca’s ordinary life?

I guess what gets me here is that this is almost about the people *around* the band and not the rockers themselves. Which is fine; we’ve seen that done in other books before. The question remains if it’s Rock Fiction or not, and how all of this is handled and like I said, color me curious.

This one seems to have been around for awhile. It’s even been released under a different title. And the plot? Also different! Check it:

“Don’t do it, Annika,” he taunted. His eyes were no longer bright and charming but dark and intense, yet they still twinkled. He was tempting, but was he harmful?

Aspiring rock star Annika Brisby thinks she knows where her life is going until she steps through a broken portal that leaves her stranded in a realm of fairies, vampires, and other mythical beings. Unable to return until it’s repaired, she’s rescued by wood nymphs who believe her sudden arrival is no accident. After being taken in by a prominent family of elves, Annika finds herself struggling to resist the seductive spell of their youngest son, Talvi. Equal parts arrogant and alluring, the notorious heartbreaker seems like the perfect distraction for her homesickness. Her new friends warn her that she’ll probably regret ever laying eyes on him, and what begins as a casual fling quickly burns too hot to handle. By the time Annika learns the consequences of their forbidden trysts, Talvi’s already under her skin and dangerously close to her heart. But on the journey home she discovers that there’s a mountain of secrets that he’s not telling her, and Annika can’t help wondering who’s really in danger.

* Previously titled Balkan Magic, The Misadventures of Annika Brisby

Long before I met Susan, I read a Rock Fiction book that involved fairies and a war between factions. I don’t remember what it was, but this makes me think of that. And I know these aren’t the same book.

The question, which is our usual question, is whether or not Annika’s rocker status has any bearing on the story, or if that’s just a detail included to make her look cool.

Only one way to find out, although if anyone’s already read it and wants to write a review, we’d be glad to post it!

First in a series alert! And also an “Is it Rock Fiction” alert. Read on and see why:

Two secrets. One bet. Who will break first?

Taylor Caldwell can’t decide if she wants to kiss her new college roommate or punch him.

On the one hand, Hunter Zaccadelli is a handsome blue-eyed bundle of charm. On the other, he’s a tattooed, guitar-playing bad boy. Maybe that’s why Taylor’s afraid of falling in love with him, or anyone else. She doesn’t want to get burned, so she needs him gone before it’s too late.

Hunter himself has been burned before, but Taylor’s sexy laugh and refusal to let him get away with anything make her irresistible. Determined not to be kicked out of her life without a fight, Hunter proposes a bet: if she can convince him she either truly loves or hates him, he’ll leave the apartment;and leave her alone.

But when the man behind Taylor’s fear of giving up her heart resurfaces, she has to decide: trust Hunter with her greatest secret, or do everything in her power to win that bet and drive him away forever.

Now, book two in the series is about other people, but book three is back to these two, and there’s no mention of tattoos or guitar playing. So the question is all about whether or not a mention of a “tattooed, guitar-playing bad boy” is enough to make this Rock Fiction or not.

And I gotta say: I like a book where the guy can’t get enough of the girl because of her laugh. It’s nice to see a character look beyond the physical.

This one isn’t going to be published until September and it’s only July, but hey, that’s why these posts are all about books we WANT to read, not the books we already did. (Those go on Saturdays ’cause we can only read so fast.)

This one is the third in a series, which makes me think it’s the Rock Fiction Series Entry. Check it:

As the daughter of a music legend, Grace Davingham knows all too well what it’s like to be burned by the media’s glare. Now all she wants is to be left to do her painting and conservation work in peace, with no intention of returning to the spotlight. But after she sprains her ankle hiking and a handsome real-estate mogul comes to her rescue, Grace once again finds herself in the public eye.

Sexy, successful, and averse to any attachments, Marcus Colby thrives on rigid discipline in order to manage both his real-estate investment company and his personal life. Marc has no time for fun, and no patience for crazy. Which is why meeting Grace—and inheriting an enormous Great Dane who won’t listen to a word he says—has turned Marc’s carefully constructed world upside down.

Only when Grace and Marc square off over a local controversy do they realize how different they really are. But if opposites attract, their love is destined to bind them together—forever.

I love kids of star stories, even if they all too often wind up being Not Rock Fiction. And this one has potential to be Not Rock Fiction. But… it also sounds like fun. Great Danes? That’s a fun twist.

Bring this one, even if it winds up being Not Rock Fiction. Maybe it will surprise me on that front. (but given our track record lately… well, Susan says that she learned from her cats that hope springs eternal.)

This one won’t be out until November, but I found it and I’m gonna write about it. So get ready to hit preorder buttons or whatever, especially those of you who’re wishing for something more than romance, romance, romance.

This is a mystery.

The bad news is that it’s one in an ongoing series and I have no idea if it can stand alone or not. Only one way to find out!

It’s called Rhythm and Clues, and it’s part of the Odelia Grey series. Here’s the description:

It’s a rockin’ flashback for Odelia Grey when her mother asks her to look into the disappearance of a neighbor, the former lead singer for a band Odelia idolized in her youth. But when a body is found in Bo Shank’s house by another member of Odelia’s family, everything quickly gets thrown out of tune.

You gotta wonder how much Rock Fiction this will be, since there’s a family connection to the dead body, and the dead person doesn’t seem to be the former lead singer, but… only one way to find out! Could this be a good way to enter a new-to-us, non-Rock Fiction series? Believe it or not, that’s allowed. We just won’t talk about it here.

How do you cope when the people you care for hurt you the most? When the way you feel on the outside, smothers you on the inside. And when you are left to face your demons alone, will you learn that only you have the power to overcome them?

Charlie has never had it easy. Between the constant moving and the incessant fat comments and jokes from her father, her self-worth is nonexistent. Her reflection in the mirror shows her nothing but a plain Jane. Music is the only thing that keeps her sanity in check.

Charlie catches the eye of the town star quarterback, Maverick. With her curves, her brunette hair, and the voice of an angel, Maverick has never met anyone like her. Everything that is different about Charlie just makes Maverick like her more. Unfortunately, Charlie doesn’t see it herself.

Proving it to her may deem harder than he thinks, especially when tragedy strikes and tears them apart.

Now standing on her own two feet she may finally learn exactly who she is, what’s she’s capable of and how very un plain Jane she really is.

So maybe this is more about coming into your own than Rock Fiction. Hard to tell; I think it comes down to how much salvation music plays in Charlie’s life.

Bring it! Let’s see for ourselves… does this make the cut?

I sure hope so, and not just because the series seems to come back around and focus, in the third book, on Charlie and her best friend (the subject of Book Two) starting a duo.

And while the book title is awesome, the series falls back on the old Cliches. This one’s All Access.

Here’s the description of Book One, The Search for Paradise:

If you’re like most fans of rock and roll, then you imagine the life of a rock star is all about easy fame and fortune, big money, all-night partying, and doing what you love most. The same goes for writers and film stars, right?

Well, the money is good, the parties are happening, and we are doing what we love more than anything in the world, but getting there isn’t as easy as you think. My name is Tina Marz, and while I’m searching for my paradise, life throws me a lot of curves and hard lessons in my search for my success. It is all about hard work, long hours, and just when I think paradise is within reach…maybe it’s not. Come join me on my journey to the top, and I’ll give you an all access look at the truth about life in the spotlight…my life.

Okay, so this is… the character or the author talking to us? Or both? Yeah, okay, the lead character sports a variation on the author’s name, but… c’mon.

Lots of questions here, beginning with if this is fiction or not. Doesn’t seem to be a romance, either, so that’s another point in its favor.

Almost forty-one-year-old Annabelle Morris, wife to multi-billionaire record label executive Charles Morris of Zenith Productions, and mother of two is at a crossroads in her life.
Separated from her husband after walking in on him having sex in the public restroom of a charity event she was hosting, she has arrived on the island of St. John alone and rejected, determined to re-evaluate her life and her marriage. She’s tired of being her husband’s showpiece while he pretends she doesn’t exist. She’s tired of trying to make their marriage work for the sake of their two teenage boys.

When she meets Johnny Lightning, a sexy but mysterious piano-playing, bearded sailor, she is tempted to break vows she has never before broken. But Johnny is much younger than her and seems to be hiding more than a few secrets of his own.

From the laid-back sandy beaches of the Caribbean to the elite circles of Dallas high society, Annabelle is forced to make critical choices.

Is a chance for happiness worth the risk of giving up the life she has always known?

Worth jeopardizing her own and possibly even her children’s future?

In the end, will she stay on her present course or brave a new and uncharted one?

So that’s the same description for all three books, and at the end, there’s a note that the three stories work together to make one complete novel. I hear from a lot of readers that they don’t like this approach, so if you’ve got feedback of your own, bring it. Personally, I’d prefer to read it all at once.

Let’s take a look here, because it’s interesting. Not the May-December romance so much — I think that’s starting to be a trend ’cause this isn’t the first book I’ve seen like this lately — but we have a powerful woman trying to make a bad scene work. And then a guy who’s almost from the other side of the tracks.

Now, of course we know in the end, she’ll pick Johnny. That money isn’t the answer to happiness and if her husband was having sex in bathrooms, there’s more going on with him than just being unhappily married. It’s probably the same things that made him such a hotshot label exec. I’m actually kind of intrigued by this guy, but he’s the bad guy here, so nevermind.

The next question is how strongly music plays a role. The soon-to-be ex is a label exec. Johnny plays piano. Is it enough for this to be Rock Fiction, or are these job titles and hobbies just fluff to make people like me sit up and take notice?

As an accomplished architect, single dad of teenage twin girls, and co-owner of The Playground, Raleigh’s hottest jazz and blues club, it’s an understatement to say Malcolm Cobb has his hands full. Add to that an ex-wife who knows how to bring the drama, it’s no surprise he has little time or inclination for a personal life. But when he spots stunning, voluptuous Cilla Jameson, he’s suddenly considering rearranging his schedule and setting aside his concerns. . .

Independent and successful, Cilla would love to be in love. But when it comes to men, she has a lengthy list of requirements. And “no children” is at the top. Yet she can’t help being intrigued by Malcolm. He’s handsome, fascinating, respectful–and up for a challenge. But is Cilla? After all, the man has baggage–and it is fully packed. Can she handle the ex who’s determined to keep him single? Or the twins who are not quite the angels Malcolm thinks? She’ll have to decide, if she wants to play for keeps. . .

So what’s tying the first two books together here is The Playground, Raleigh’s hottest jazz and blues club. Both heroes are the owners. I’m not sure what this means for future books in the series, but hey, if the books revolve around The Playground, who’s going to care? Especially if they are good.

I’m not sure there’s anything new here in the story as it’s described, but it still sounds like fun. And that’s it: it sounds like FUN. It’s the voice of the description, I guess. Or maybe it’s my mood. I don’t know, and when it comes to books that could be a fun read, I’m there. I guess the biggest question of all is that despite being set in a jazz club, is this really Rock Fiction?